The River Clyde: An Unused Marine Highway

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Alistair Macleod, Chief Executive of Clydefast Ltd, presented his views on the bringing the Clyde back into use for passenger ferries, the Clydefast Ferry proposals and the present limitations to achieving increased passenger craft on the river.

Alistair Macleod began by showing a photo of the Kingston Bridge and highlighting the fact that, although it was designed to carry 30,000 vehicles a day, it now, due to car ownership and commuter expansion, carries 150,000 vehicles every day. Below the bridge lies an empty River Clyde.

Historically, the river was bustling with boats taking freight up and down the river and paddle steamers carrying Glaswegian holiday makers on trips “doon the watter” to Dunoon, Rothesay and Tighnbruiach. Today, the Pride of the Clyde is the only passenger boat providing a regular ferry service on the river between Glasgow city centre and Braehead. Nowadays, getting from Glasgow to Dunoon and Rothesay is possible on the Waverley steamer, but more likely by train from Glasgow first to Gourock or Wemyss Bay and then on by ferry from there.

Alistair argued that there is therefore strong economic justification for a ferry service direct from Glasgow city centre. 20 million visits are made to Braehead by bus or car each year and 2.8 million passenger travel across the Clyde to/from Brodick, Rothesay and Dunoon in the same time. There are existing pier and pontoon facilities which could accommodate ferries. The advantage of using just a single mode of transport – ferry - for these journeys is that the journey time could be cut by around ten minutes. There is then the added convenience of using one mode of transport rather than having to change halfway through the journey.

Clydefast could operate between eight and twelve services every day initially, increasing this to up to twenty services a day in the second year. A service to Brodick could operate four or five roundtrips every day.

In Clydefast’s view, the restrictions to achieving such a service is that there is no coherent policy for the development of the river. It was suggested that this is due to the fact that 19 authorities or bodies have responsibility or influence over the development or operation of the river. These include the Scottish Executive, all neighbouring local authorities, Strathclyde Passenger Transport, Scottish Enterprise National and the local Enterprise bodies, Maritime Coastguard Agency, Clydeport and SEPA. Also, whilst there is a waterfront regeneration plan for the river to Erskine, it is in Clydeport’s view not clear what the strategy is down river of it. For example, Bowling Basin, at the mouth of the Forth and Clyde Canal, would be an ideal place for a pontoon.

Alistair Macleod, concluded his presentation by stressing that the success of river transport depends on the formation of a statutory body to provide a structured operating environment for all modes of transport.

For further details, please see the Clydefast website www.clydefast.com or contact Alistair Macleod on 01475 540 331.